End-gate fastener.



No. 69l,480 Patented Ian. 2|, I902.

w. B. & E. A. NICHOLS & F. x. SCHAD.

- END GATE FASTENER.

(Application filed June 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

*Wam wow I UNETED STATES PATENT QEFIQE.

WALTER l3. NICHOLS, EDWARD A. NICHOLS, AND FRANK X. SOI-IAD, OF GAINESVILLE, TEXAS.

END-GATE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,480, dated January 21, 1902.

Application filed June 19 1901. Serial No. 65,186. (No model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WALTER B. NIoHoLs, EDWARD A. NICHOLS, and FRANK X. SOHAD, citizens of the United States, residing at Gainesville, in the county of Cooke and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful End-Gate Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to end-gate fasteners; and an object of the invention is to provide a simple, effective, and durable device of the character specified which in operation will firmly hold the gate in place in the wagonbody and at the same time clamp the sideboards of the wagon against the end-gate.

A further object is to provide for requisite adj ustment of the parts of the fastener, whereby to cause it always to be efiective to hold the end-gate firmly in position.

A further object is to provide a novel form of end strap with which the fastener engages, the end strap performing the dual function of an engaging means for the fastener and as a reinforcement for the ends of the sideboards.

With these and other objects in view,as will appear in the further presentation of the case, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of an end-gate fastener,as willbe hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,and in which like numorals of reference indicate corresponding parts, we have illustrated a form of embodiment of our invention capable of carrying the same into effect, it being understood that the precise arrangement, construction, and proportion of the parts herein shown may be varied or changed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and in the drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective exhibiting the device as attached to the end-gate of a wagon. Fig. 2 is a View in rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a detached detail View of an angle-iron or cleat, which is secured to the inner sides of the ends of the side-board to prevent the bottom of the endgate from being pushed out.

ing curved slot 5, formed in this manner to prevent the fastening device being jolted out of the slot, and thereby unlocking the endgate. Secured against each side-board near its rear end is astrap 6, having its lower portion passed through a sill-beam 7 and held in position therein by a nut 8. The upper portion of the strap is flattened to present an enlarged head 9, the head being secured to v the Sideboards by bolts or rivets 10, of which there are shown in this instance five,although it is to be understood that a greater or less number may be em ployed,as found expedient or necessary. The head portion of each strap is provided with a curved slot 11, corresponding to and alining with that in the side-board and having its terminals countersunk, as at 12. By constructing the strap in the manner described not only is there a means provided for supporting the fastener, but the side-boards are braced, and thus rendered rigid and less liable to become cracked or damaged in use at their rear ends.

The fastener comprises a locking-lever 13 and two arms 14 and 15, connected with the locking-lever. One end of the lever is provided with a bifurcated head 16, between the members of which, and preferably near its outer end, is pivotally connected the arm 14, the arm 15 having its inner end threaded to engage the socket 17, thelatter being pivoted between the members of the head 16. Upon the threaded portion of the arm 15 is a nut 18, which is designed to be turned into engagement with the outer end of the socket, and thus hold the arm 15 at the desired adjustment. The locking-lever 13 is provided at its extremity with a hook 19, adapted to be brought into engagement with the arm 14 when the end-gate is to be locked in position, as shown in Fig. 2. Each arm is provided at its extremity with a cone-shaped or disk-like head 20, thus to engage with the countersunk ICO' portion 12 of the slots 11 in the plates, whereby the arms will be firmly held in position against disengagement from the slots, as from jars and vibrations incidental to the passage of the vehicle over the ground.

Upon the end-gate 2, and preferably at a point about centrally of its length, is pivoted a cleat 21, and secured to this cleat by a bolt 22 is the lever 13, the bolt-opening for the bolt 22 being equidistant from the bolts 23 and 24, that hold the arms 14 and 15, respectively, associated with the bifurcated head of the locking-lever. By the use of the cleat the lever to which the arms are connected is placed on a straight line with the ends of said arms, and by having the cleat pivoted it is caused to change its position when the adjustable arm is made shorter or longer, whereby the pressure will be the same at the ends of both arms against the side of the bed. If the cleat were stationary, an adjustment would have to be provided on each arm 14 and 15 to lengthen or shorten the same. At the sides of the end are secured two cleats 25, these being assembled with the end-gate in any suitable manner, as by bolts or rivets, and each of these cleats carries near its upper end a slotted keeper 26, through which passes the ends ofthe arms 14 and 15, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. By this arrangement the arms will be firmly held against detachment from the end-gate, and the keepers will also serve as guides in directing the arms out of the curved slots in the side-boards. The arms have a vertical movement in the slotted keepers, whereby any binding action between the arms and the walls of the slots is prevented. By the use of the present invention the usual vertical cleats to bear against the outer side of the end-gate are dispensed with, and in order that the lower portion of the gate may be held firmly assembled with the wagon-body two cleats 27 are employed, these being made of angle-iron and secured to the side-boards of the wagon in any suitable manner. The member 28 of the cleat to engage with the end board has a rearward curved projection 29 at its upper end, this projection serving to guide the end-gate between the cleats 27 and the ordinary cleats 30, secured to the side-boards back of the endgate, as will be readily understood by referenoe to Fig. 4.

When an end-gag has been locked into position with the fastening device described, the lever 13 is disengaged from the arm 14, thereby to permit the two arms being projected. The tail-gate is then inserted between the cleats 28 and 30 and the arms 14 and 15 passed into the slots of the strap-irons, the arms resting in the lower ends of the curved slots. The lever is then turned on its bolt 22, and the two arms are drawn toward each other until their heads rest in the countersunk portions 12 of the curved slots, and the hook 19 is then brought into engagement with the arm 14. Should the arms when retracted be too long to effect binding of the side-boards against the end-gate, this may be remedied by loosening the nut 18 and screwing the arm 15 into the socket 17 a sufiicient distance to take up the lost motion,after which the nut 18 is turned down against the end of the socket. In adjusting this arm the operative relation existing between the arms and lever is disturbed, and to compensate for this the cleat 21, which is associated with the endgate by a single bolt 31, will swing on its bolt, and thereby permit the arms to be brought into proper operative relation to the countersinks of the slots.

By the arrangement described should there be two or more superposed end-gates employed the lower one may be detached from the wagon without interfering with the one above it.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device of the present invention is exceedingly simple in construction and does not require the services of a skilled mechanic to make the same, and owing to its simplicity it may be so cheaply produced as not to add objectionable cost to the wagon employing the same or to placing it upon a wagon already in use. Furthermore, by the arrangement described when the device is in locked position it renders the end of the Wagon-body solid and firm and obviates the possibility of the end-gate working loose or rattling.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advan tages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What we claim is- 1. In an end-gate fastener, a vehicle-body having its side-boards provided with downwardly-curved open-ended slots, the inner ends of the slots being on a plane lower than their outer ends, in-combination with an endgate carrying arms for engaging the slots, and resting in the inner ends thereof, and locking means for the arms.

2. In an end-gate fastener, a vehicle-body having its side-boards provided with openended slots, in combination with an end-gate carrying a pivoted cleat, a locking-lever carried by the cleat, and arms carried by the lever, one of the arms being lengthwise adjustable with relation to the other.

3. In an end-gate, the combination with the side-boards provided with open-ended slots, the inner ends of the slots being in a plane lower than their outer ends, of straps having their lower'ends secured to the sillbeam of the body and their upper portions provided with slots registering with those of the side boards, and a fastener engaging within the slots.

4. The combination of a vehicle-body having its side-boards provided with curved slots, a cleat provided with an outwardly-curved upper extremity and arranged at the bottom of the vehicle-body on each side, an end-gate adapted to be engaged back of the cleats, and a fastener carried by the end-gate and received within the curved slots of the sideboards. e

5. The combination of a vehicle-body, With an end-gate, a pivoted cleat mounted upon the end-gate, and the fastening device for the end-gate mounted upon the pivoted cleat and engaging the body.

6. The combination with an end-gate, of a pivoted lever having a bifurcated head, an

arm pivoted at one extremity of and working within the bifurcated portion, a socket pivoted at the other extremity of and also working within the bifurcated portion, and an arm carrying an adjustingnut engaging the socket.

7. In an end-gate fastener, the combination with the side-boards provided with openended slots, of straps having their lower ends secured in the sill-beam of the body, the upper portions of the straps being flattened and provided with slots registering with those in the side-boards, the terminals of the slots in the straps being countersunk, in combination with an end-gate having arms provided with heads for engaging the countersinks in the straps, and locking means for the arms.

8. In an end-gate fastener, the'combination I with the wagon-body provided With the single long cleat at each side, of short cleats spaced from the long cleats and cooperating therewith, said short cleats being provided with an outwardly-curved upper extremity, for the purpose substantially as described.

9. The combination of side-boards'having open-ended curved slots, straps having their lower ends secured to the sill-beam of the vehicle-body, the upper portion of the straps being flattened and provided with curved slots registering with those of the side-boards, cleats having outwardly-curved upper extremities arranged at the bottom of the vehicle-body, an end-gate engaging behind the cleats, and a fastener carried by the end-gate and received at its ends within the curved slots formed in the side-boards and straps.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER B. NICHOLS. EDWARD A. NICHOLS. FRANK X. SOHAD.

Witnesses:

E. A. BLANToN, HENRY C. DOHENY. 

